Site PHE05: Dorey Park

Description

Dorey Park is another excellent spot to get away from the traffic of the city and enjoy a myriad of wildlife. The park consists of a chain of well-constructed manmade ponds interspersed with deciduous woodland and open fields. Common woodland species are found throughout with red-bellied woodpeckers and blue jays chattering away from the woods and family groups of Canada geese sailing about on the ponds.
Regular inspection of the park is likely to turn up unusual and unexpected species. These can appear anywhere at anytime although spring and fall migration tend to bring the most surprises. Although warblers will probably trickle through for weeks during these periods, there are those days when everything aligns and a rare spectacle of abundance occurs. Picture a bird flitting or sitting almost everywhere you look, and then drape them in outrageous colors of orange and yellow, blue and green. With this diversity comes the challenge of identifying them. Watch for the wagging tail of palm warblers or the bright yellow feet of the female blackpoll warbler. High in the canopy northern parulas, Blackburnian and bay-breasted warblers clamber about, while black-throated blue and chestnut-sided warblers prefer the middle tree levels. Maybe even a prairie warbler or perhaps an American redstart will fly into the picture. They all can occur, and at times do so all at once; the luck is being there to see them.

Directions

From Deep Run Park, return on Ridgefield Parkway 0.3 miles to Gaskins Road. Turn left and go 0.8 miles to I-64. Travel east on I-64 for 14.7 miles to Exit #195 (I-64 East and I-95 South run together through Richmond…you will need to take Exit #75 to stay on I-64 East). Go south onto Laburnum Avenue for 3.4 miles. Turn left (southeast) onto Darbytown Road and follow it 1.2 miles to Dorey Park Drive. Turn right (south) and continue into the park.
To return to a major highway, return to Darbytown Road and turn right and continue a short distance to Doran Drive. Turn right on Doran Drive and follow this south to SR 5. Turn left on SR 5 and it intersects I-295. From here you can follow I-295 south and proceed on I-85 near the end of I-295 to begin the Christanna Loop.